Pieter G. Kik

Pieter G. Kik is an Associate Professor in the Department of Optics & Photonics at CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida. His research focuses on nanophotonics and near-field optics, with expertise in optical analysis tools for nanostructured devices. He leads a team investigating surface plasmon dispersion, erbium excitation enhancement in semiconductor nanocrystals, and plasmon-induced optical nonlinearities. Kik has been recognized for teaching excellence with awards from 2006 to 2014, including the 2006 Presidential Major Research Equipment Award and the 2007 Millionaire’s Club for research contributions.

His research group employs advanced setups like near-field scanning optical microscopes, fiber-coupled microscopes, and variable-temperature photoluminescence systems. Key projects include manipulating plasmon dispersion in nanoscale films and developing transparent electrode geometries for light-trapping applications. Kik has advised multiple graduate students and contributed to over 15 peer-reviewed publications since 2018, with recent work on metasurface optofluidics and anti-biofouling silica nanoparticulate films.

• Awards: Excellence in Teaching (2013, 2014), TIP Award (2009), Millionaire’s Club (2007)
• Advising: 6 completed PhD/MS students, including Mengdi Sun (2022) and Fabricio Casco (current M.S.)
• Labs: Specializes in nanophotonics labs with cutting-edge optical characterization tools